Leap into Leadership Celebrates Girls who Want to Change the World

30 Sep 2015

Girl Scouts is helping young girls across the country by providing
them the tools they need to reach their fullest potential, helping
them build leadership skills and giving them a safe environment to
explore issues facd by young people around the world.

On September 19, 2015, seven teenage Girl Scouts co-planned and
co-hosted Leap into Leadership, a first-of-its-kind conference for
girls who want to change the world. The conference took place at
Mercy College in Dobbs Ferry and gave 100 girls from the Hudson Valley
in 9th – 12th grade the opportunity to explore issues that affect the
world we live in. Sessions on issues such as violence, education, peer
pressure, self-confidence, bullying, and gender equality were co-run
by our team of Girl Scout ambassadors and local community professionals.

The day was highlighted by a keynote speech from Urjasi Rudra, an
Advocacy and Programme Specialist with UN Women, the United Nations
entity for gender equality and women’s empowerment. She encouraged the
girls in attendance to do their part in making a difference saying,
“You are not a statistic. You, as young women and girls, in
partnership with young men and boys, are the most powerful agents of
change. You are part of a youth population of 1.8 billion today.
That’s 1.8 billion dreams, talent, and potential. If you demand a
gender equal world and a healthier planet, and work towards that, who
can stop you?”

Urjasi’s words, coupled with the learning experiences and
discussions the girls had throughout the day, served as a tipping
point for this young generation of leaders, highlighting for them the
importance of both formal education as well as their own role in
continuing their expansion of knowledge and understanding of the world
round them. As the 100 participants reflected on their experiences
that day, they were asked to share both what they had learned and how
they intended to continue both their own education and the education
of others. Feedback included:

“Today I learned that confidence and communication are
important factors when it comes to learning and becoming
successful”

“Today I learned that the best defense against
discrimination is education”

“My next step towards
leadership is educating others about topics that are not discussed
enough”

“After leaving here I plan to research ways to combat
bigotry, especially in people who don’t see the ignorance of their
own bigotry”

Each of the seven Girl Scouts who was on the planning team is also
continuing to push for better education, an end to violence against
women, better self-esteem in young people, and overall gender
equality. Last October they travelled to Salt Lake City, Utah to
attend National Girl Scout Convention and the Girl Scout Leadership
Institute where they met other young people from around the world to
discuss these crucial issues, the effects they had on society, and how
to impact change both locally and globally. It was an incredible
learning experience.

After returning to the Hudson Valley, these seven incredible young
women each embarked on personal leadership journeys to educate and
inspire those around them on issues most important to them. The Leap
into Leadership event was one aspect of their much larger vision of
creating an appreciation for education, and well-informed knowledge,
and we look forward to seeing the impact of their continued work.